Empoli eliminated Juventus from the quarter-finals of Coppa Italia, with Thiago Motta providing an unfiltered analysis post game.
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Juve out of Coppa Italia Empoli beat them to a spot in semisMotta admits club is in a crisisFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Thiago Motta has provided a scathing analysis following Juventus' elimination from the Coppa Italia at the hands of Empoli in the quarter-final, stating that the Bianconeri have reached the nadir. Juventus have not had a season to remember in Motta's debut campaign as the head coach of the Old Lady.
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With the match ending in 1-1 after added time, the game went to penalties, where Empoli defeated Juventus 4-2. It was a horror showing and further compounded Juve's misery, who have looked completely out of sorts.
While their domestic form has visibly improved, they were beaten by PSV 4-3 on aggregate in the Champions League pre-Round of 16 playoffs. Any chance of lifting a trophy at the end of the season relied on their progress in Coppa Italia, with the league seemingly out of reach.
WHAT THIAGO MOTTA SAID
"I feel ashamed. I hope the players feel the same. You can make any mistake, but not this," Motta told reporters after the match (h/t Calciomercato).
"The attitude in the first half is shameful. I'm wrong, because I didn't make my players understand the importance of wearing the Juventus shirt. And that's why we're not in the semi-finals.
"I hope the criticism is very strong. The public was also very kind to us given the first half. I hope for an immediate reaction from these players. I am ashamed of what I saw from my team especially in the first half. A huge responsibility on my part because I did not make them understand the importance of the match and of playing in the Juventus shirt.
"We played against an Empoli team that also gave rest to those who play normally. Talking about mentality at this moment is talking about understanding where you are, understanding what you have to do, understanding that you have to earn your place here every day and not expect things. We got one thing wrong that cannot be done wrong in this club, which is attitude. We played at least twenty times with the goalkeeper, without taking responsibility. Losing the ball and looking down. It is unacceptable. Today we must apologize to the fans, to the club, to the history of this club. We have hit rock bottom."
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?
Having been eliminated from both cup competitions, they will turn all their focus towards finishing as high as they possibly can in Serie A. Their upcoming fixture in the league sees them clash against Verona on next Monday, March 3.
